The Blue Room will be filled with tears of grief, loving embraces and life-affirming music on Thursday. Uziel “Uzielito” Pecina, the youngest member of the Kansas City band Aztlan and the son of the ensemble’s founder, died in November. He was 18. Well-wishers, friends and family will gather at the event that’s “in honor of mental health and the memory of Uzielito.” Formed in 1992 as a Latin folkloric trio, Aztlan has since become one of the region’s most convivial purveyors of traditional Mexican folk music, rock and good-time R&B.

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The preposterously named Great Good Fine OK crafts correspondingly giddy pop songs. The Brooklyn duo’s new EP contains seven ditties that even sugary pop stars like Katy Perry might consider cloying. Jon Sandler gently croons sweet nothings over a frothy bed of peppy beats prepared by his band mate, Luke Moellman, on undeniably delightful but unapologetically inconsequential songs like “Take It Or Leave It.” With Flor and Brother.

Forty-two years after “Where Love Begins” stormed the country charts, the cheating song sounds like an extraordinary artifact from an entirely different era. The heavy twang of a steel guitar, syrupy background vocals and thick Texas drawl of Gene Watson are worlds removed from the contemporary country music of today. Watson, 73, will revive his woefully underappreciated classic hits from the ’70s and ’80s, like the maudlin story song “Paper Rosie” and the racy reminiscing of “Nothing Sure Looked Good on You,” on Friday.

An essential component in the record collections of millions of people who came of age in the 1970s, well-worn copies of Pure Prairie League’s greatest hits collection share coveted shelf space alongside compilations by the likes of the Eagles, Dan Fogelberg and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. The band’s loose-limbed version of country continues to resonate with rock-oriented listeners. The overhauled lineup of the band from Ohio will re-create old favorites like “Amie” for nostalgic admirers on Friday. With Outlaw Jim & the Whiskey Benders.

Released in the midst of last year’s political campaigns, Alter Bridge’s single “Show Me a Leader” gives voice to the hankering of frustrated voters: “show me a leader that won’t compromise … we need a hero this time.” The protest song didn’t surprise fans familiar with the hard rock band’s origins. Three members of the quartet also form the core of Creed, a group prone to grandiose statements. The trio backs seasoned vocalist Myles Kennedy in Alter Bridge. With Nonpoint and Weapons of Anew.

Peter Anthony is a linchpin in Kansas City’s progressive beatmaking circles. His Intelligent Sound collective is “focused on showcasing and uplifting a community of musicians creating electronic, hip-hop, downtempo and instrumental music.” Mvstermind, an artful producer and nimble rapper from St. Louis with radio-ready songs like the wavy “Mali Moolah,” is among the artists who are participating in Saturday’s showcase. With Subtle Aggression Monopoly, Rick Maun, Dan Matic, Geesace and Plastic.

Footage captured at the Wakarusa festival in 2014 shows hundreds of sunburned revelers dancing in the dirt as Manic Focus samples rappers including Lil Wayne and Lil Jon. The video highlights the simultaneously earthy and metropolitan appeal of the Chicago-based electronic funk act overseen by John McCarten. His dizzyingly bouncy remix of Tracy Chapman’s folk-pop hit “Give Me One Reason” also exemplifies the aesthetic. Fresh off the Jam Cruise of the Caribbean, McCarten is likely to be in high spirits Saturday. With Wick-It the Instigator.

An inspirational message delivered by a sprawling lineup at a bargain price fills the Sprint Center to capacity every January. Attending Winter Jam, a Christian-themed rock, pop and hip-hop festival, is an annual ritual for dozens of church groups and thousands of individuals seeking a positive message. This year’s entertainers include rapper Andy Mineo, pop artist Britt Nicole and rock-based Tenth Avenue North.

Alcest is often placed in the problematic category of heavy metal bands that appeal to people who don’t like metal. Formed in 2000 by a long-haired man who calls himself Neige, the French ensemble creates staggeringly beautiful walls of guitar bedlam that attracts finicky indie-rock mavens and indelicate head-banging brutes. Songs like “Je Suis D’Ailleurs” from Alcest’s acclaimed 2016 album “Kodama,” combine exultant waves of noise with fitful screaming. With the Body, Creepers and Existem.

Devoted fans of live soul music have long relied on area vocalist and bandleader Lee Langston to provide them with flawless renditions of their favorite songs. Langston will celebrate his 40th birthday with a large ensemble of talented co-conspirators during two shows at the Buffalo Room inside the Westport Flea Market on Sunday.

Gary McClure resides in the St. Louis area, but the music he creates with American Wrestlers is imbued with the often morose indie-rock sound of his native Scotland. The dour wistfulness of Belle & Sebastian and the droll power-pop of Teenage Fanclub echo in clever songs like “Vote Thatcher” on the band’s most recent album, “Goodbye Terrible Youth.” McClure’s cohorts, including his wife, Bridgette Imperial, leaven his work with a savory sprinkling of American roots-rock. With the UK’s and Cudo.

Eric Church spelled out his adoration of the Boss in the haunting 2012 single “Springsteen.” He’s doubling down on his devotion to Springsteen by emulating the rock star’s famously lengthy concerts on the Holdin’ My Own tour. Each of the two marathon sets Church will perform at the Sprint Center on Tuesday will be filled with rowdy material like “Drink in My Hand” and thoughtful songs of heartbreak such as the recent hit “Record Year.”